For many Christians, the topic of spiritual gifts raises a variety of emotions. Some feel fear or frustration, wondering if they have a gift or feeling squeezed into a mold. Yet others find freedom in discovering their spiritual gifts. They realize t...

Where does the idea of fasting come from? Is it a dead, archaic religious practice of the past or a historic spiritual discipline still relevant to those seeking to make space for God in our busy lives? How is fasting practiced by Christians today?Th...

Jesus said, "I am the Way." Pilgrimage invites us, literally, to follow the Way by embarking on a journey, both within and without. Whether undertaken as a spiritual exercise, an act of devotion, or a learning experience, pilgrimage is a powerful jou...

Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel is famous for his quote that the opposite of love is not hate but indifference. Having witnessed so many of his family members and friends and neighbors killed, he asked why some people risked their lives to ...

Forgiveness goes to the heart of what we believe as Christians, and nothing is more important to our life together. Yet this topic is neither easy to conceptualize nor easy to practice in our life. Definitions of forgiveness vary, and personal unders...

What does it mean to have an attitude of thankfulness? Sure the theme of thankfulness appears often in the Bible, but what does that mean? Are Christians to appear happy even if they are not?Not at all. True Christian thankfulness is not the same as ...

Throughout the centuries, committed Christians who have been interested in becoming more Christlike and deepening their relationship with God have turned to spiritual disciplines for guidance and encouragement. But what are spiritual disciplines? And...

Why journal? Journaling is a way of thinking things through in your soul. It is a way of talking to God. It preserves some of your thoughts for future reference. Journaling frees you to explore the hidden parts of your heart, giving meaning to your l...

Few individuals have the clarity, courage, and staying power to resist pervasive and powerful patterns like those of the 24/7/365 economy on their own. Instead we need enduring communities of support with access to deep wisdom rooted in the past as w...

In today's hurry-up, get-it-done, and move-on-to-the-next-thing society, busy is the norm. Our attention is as much on being busy as it is on what we are doing, whether it's work, family, home life, church, or leisure activity. Crazy-busy is the term...

Why are different Christians drawn to different types of worship and prayer? Why do some of us prefer contemporary worship music, while others prefer traditional worship practices? Why do some prefer practicing spiritual disciplines which are contemp...

An important summer ritual for many of us is taking a vacation. Time away from jobs, home, commitments, and responsibilities--no matter whether it is a weekend or a week--offers an opportunity for renewal of bodies, minds, and souls. But going on vac...

The typical family, no matter what its form, moves at such a frantic pace that who has time to be spiritual? Maybe we need a definition of spirituality that transcends the notion of mountaintop retreats and hermits in the desert. Christian spirituali...

Pick up a magazine, enter a conversation with your neighbor, or check out the latest blog on the Internet. It's clear: spirituality is a word that gets bandied about--as much today in the secular sphere as in religious circles. But what is spirituali...